Births Registered
168. The number of births registered in 1970 was 77,465, comprising 75,705 Chinese (39,149 male, 36,556 female), and 1,760 non-Chinese (914 male, 846 female). Table XXXIV gives (a) the number of births registered during the years 1961 to 1970 by sex and race with the percentages of males and females, and of Chinese and non-Chinese, and (b) the live birth rates per thousand of population for the same years. The total number of births registered in 1970 decreased by 1,864 from 79,329 in 1969 and was in fact the lowest total since 1953, when the total was 75,544 and the birth rate 33.6. As will be seen from the Table, 1970 was the fifth year in a row in which the total was below 100,000, and the seventh in a row in which the number of births registered fell as compared with the preceding year. The Table also shows that the birth rate has fallen continuously in each of the nine years since 1961, when the rate was 34.2. The highest rate recorded was 39.7 in 1956. As compared with 1969 the year's birth rate of 19.65 per thousand of population was down 0.23.
169. There is a distinct quarterly pattern of births in Hong Kong as illustrated in Table XXXV, which shows in graphical form that the peak of births is always reached in the last quarter of the year. Births then decline sharply in the next two quarters touching the lowest point in the second quarter of the year. Thereafter a marked increase is always registered in the third quarter, and the upward trend continues until the highest point is again reached in the fourth quarter. Births in the year under review followed this typical pattern, but as in recent years with more moderate quarterly fluctuations when compared with earlier years due to a further decline of the overall number of births.
170. Table XXXVI gives the births registered in 1968, 1969 and 1970 by district. This shows that in 1970 the numbers registered on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and New Kowloon, and in the New Territories dropped by 23, 321 and 1,520 respectively, representing falls of 0.12%, 0.68% and 12%.
171. On Hong Kong Island decreases occurred in most areas, exceptions being the Eastern District and Western District, where births registered rose by 473 and 619 respectively. In Kowloon and New Kowloon there were increases of 626 at Kwong Wah Hospital, 511 at Sham Shui Po and 238 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Decreases were, however, recorded elsewhere-801 at Yau Ma Tei, 682 at Sung Wong
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